Reject My Alpha President (Iris and Arthur) novel Chapter 79

“He can’t have gone far,” Arthur says as we hurry across the street once the coast is clear. “Not in this rain.”

I shoot Arthur a glance, and I can tell we both don’t fully believe that statement.

Over the next twenty minutes, Arthur and I rush through the neighborhood, scanning every nook and cranny for Miles. We knock on doors, check under cars, scream Miles name until our throats are raw.

This is familiar, I realize as we search. Too familiar.

Once, two years ago when I first hired Miles‘ babysitter in Bo’Arrocan, he pulled a similar stunt. He hated her at first, and got so upset when I left him with her one night that he ran off and she couldn’t catch him. He thought he could find me if he ran far enough, but he just wound up getting lost.

The police had to put an amber alert out, and we searched for hours. Finally, we found him crouched behind a dumpster outside a nearby business… laughing.

He thought we were playing hide and seek.

Suddenly, I stop, my eyes widening. I begin to turn around frantically, trying to discern where I might hide if I were Miles.

Arthur skids to a halt beside me, the rain plastering his dark hair to his forehead. “Iris, what are you doing?” he shouts over the noise.

“If you were a five year old boy, where would you hide during hide and seek?” I ask.

Arthur furrows his brow, but I don’t have time to explain. He looks around, then points to a nearby trail leading into a small park nearby. We begin rushing in that direction, and all the while, I’m cursing beneath the sound of the rain.

“I’m a horrible mother!” I grit out, pushing soaked strands of hair out of my eyes as we run. “This happened once before, and I should have known it would happen again!”

Arthur frowns. “What do you mean!”

“Miles!” I scream.

+25 BONUS

Arthur and I both turn, racing toward the sound. We follow it down the park trail and toward the sound of rushing water. My heart leaps into my throat as we come to an abrupt halt alongside a low, concrete wall. Below, dark, muddy water is rushing through a flume.

And that’s precisely where the screaming is coming from,

Gasping, we lean over the wall to see a fallen free wedged in between the concrete walls of the flume. And on it, shivering and barely hanging on, is Miles‘ small form.

Chapter 80